Fox News: Unofficial corporate sponsor of Beck's 8/28 rally

On Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy took great pains to declare that Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally was Beck's alone--"not Fox News'." Yet, just as it did for the tea party rallies, Fox has provided Beck a platform to promote his rally all over the network; indeed, when Beck later appeared on Fox & Friends to discuss his rally, the on-screen graphic directed viewers to Beck's 8/28 rally website "for more information."

Doocy: "Glenn Beck--not Fox News--is hosting" 8/28 rally

Doocy: "Glenn Beck -- not Fox News -- is hosting an event at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to celebrate America." On the August 24 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, host Steve Doocy introduced an interview with Rev. Al Sharpton, who criticized Beck's rally for taking place on the anniversary of and the site of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, by emphasizing that "Glenn Beck -- not Fox News -- is hosting an event at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to celebrate America."

But Fox has provided Beck a platform to promote rally

Fox & Friends directed viewers to Beck's website for "more info" on Beck's rally. On August 24, Fox & Friends hosted Glenn Beck to promote his 8/28 rally to respond to Sharpton's criticism of the event. Throughout Beck's appearance - and even during the portions of the segment in which the show re-aired Sharpton's earlier appearance - the on-screen graphic directed viewers to Glenn Beck's website for "more info" on the rally:

The O'Reilly Factor promoted Beck's rally. On the August 19 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly hosted Beck to promote his 8/28 rally, saying Beck has "got a big event coming up shortly on August 28 in Washington, D.C."

Beck also promoted the rally on the February 26 edition of The O'Reilly Factor (transcript via Nexis):

O'REILLY: All right. So here's Beck. And there's a lot of cancer talk at the CPAC keynote address by you.

GLENN BECK, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Made some people uncomfortable. Surprisingly, not cancer patients.

O'REILLY: Your point was that progressivism...

BECK: Yes.

O'REILLY: ... is the cancer...

BECK: Yes.

O'REILLY: ... that has seeped into the fabric of America.

[...]

BECK: Yes. Here's the -- and here's the best part. You and I have come to the same conclusion. I'm doing a deal at the Lincoln Memorial this summer on 8/28 about restoring honor.

From "Culture Warrior," if I may quote: "Don't do stuff -- don't say stuff and then not do it. Sloppiness of character. It can become habit-forming. It's very important for the T-warrior."

O'REILLY: Traditional warrior.

BECK: I know. It just bothers me. "To be a person of honor, a stand-up guy or gal. What does that mean? By being stand-up, you tell the truth and defend your principles in public, even if they're unpopular."

Beck promoted the rally at least 38 times on his Fox News show. A Nexis search showed that Beck promoted his 8/28 rally at least 38 times on his Fox News show, The Glenn Beck Program, from January through August 23.

Fox News' Sarah Palin will speak at Beck's rally. According to Glenn Beck's website, Fox News' Sarah Palin will be a speaker at Beck's rally:

The speakers include representatives from SOWF, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Dr. Alveda King and Marcus Luttrell. Jo Dee Messina will be performing as well.

Fox promotion of Beck's rally mirrors its promotion of tea party rallies

Fox News' on-air talent participated in over a dozen tea party events. Fox News on-air talent participated in over a dozen tea party events. Neil Cavuto, dedicating his entire show to a tea party event in Atlanta, promised to devote his April 15 show to "what [the tea partiers] want to see happen." Fox News contributor Dick Morris advertised his headlining appearances at tea party rallies in Arkansas, saying to Fox News host Megyn Kelly on the April 13 America Live, "I'm going to go there because Blanche Lincoln needs to be defeated." Morris told Kelly that he had a "minor role" in the tea party movement.

Fox news "hops" aboard Tea Party Express with rampant promotions, live coverage. On August 28, 2009 Fox News devoted live coverage and publicity to the kickoff of the Tea Party Express, a bus tour organized by the Republican PAC Our Country Deserves Better, whose mission is to oppose President Obama and the Democrats. Fox News' kickoff coverage follows numerous promotions of the tour on Fox News, Fox Business, The Fox Nation, and FoxNews.com.

Fox heavily promoted and took ownership of April 15, 2009, tea parties. Fox News heavily promoted and advocated for the April 15, 2009 tea parties, which it characterized as a response to Obama administration policies. Fox News frequently aired segments -- from both "opinion" and "news" personalities -- publicizing the protests and encouraging viewers to get involved with them. In many instances, Fox News provided attendance and organizing information, such as dates, locations and website URLs. In early April 2009, Fox News announced that four hosts from the network -- Beck, Neil Cavuto, Greta Van Susteren, and Sean Hannity -- would appear live at four tea party sites and would broadcast the protests live throughout the day. At one point, Fox News even referred to the tea parties as "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties," and the Fox Nation also hosted its own "virtual tea party."

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